Plan B Time

So it looks like Kevin Garnett is going to back off of his “I don’t want to go to Boston” stance, which killed the first deal Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge had in place. Garnett gets to play with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in the lowly Eastern Conference. Those three should have a field day.
So what does that mean for the Warriors? How can they address their huge void inside since Garnett is headed for Beantown?
The Warriors, one would think, need to address that weakness somehow, especially considering a league source told me they are opening the season (Oct. 30) on TNT against Utah. Carlos Boozer bullying the Warriors on national television to start the season certainly wouldn’t be a good opener for the Warriors.
There are quite a bit of options out there, though none are as exciting as Garnett, who seemed to be a perfect fit for the Warriors’ needs. The Warriors have a $10M trade exception to play with from the Jason Richardson deal, and perhaps a lottery pick they may not want (if you believe the rumors that the Warriors didn’t want Brandan Wright, but just wanted to use Charlotte’s No. 8 as a pawn to get KG). Which would you prefer?:

DREW GOODEN would be easy to get because he fits under the trade exception and the Cavaliers wouldn’t mind parting with him. He’ll bring some strength and physicality to the Warriors frontline. He showed during the playoffs that he can hit the baseline jumper. Whether he can thrive in the uptempo and give the Warriors offense down low is the question.

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CHRIS WILCOX seems to have been built for the Warriors style of play. He may be much more dangerous if turned loose, let his athleticism take over, instead of the structured systems he’s been a part of. From everything I’ve been told, he doesn’t have a high basketball IQ and doesn’t have the offensive skills Nellie likes for his big men.

UDONIS HASLEM isn’t really a Nellie big man, though he does have a pretty nice midrange stroke. Still, the fact remains is that the Warriors need to defend the paint. They need help on the boards. They need someone with enough strength to move people around in the paint, not just be moved around. Haslem could fill that role, though he may not be a good fit next to Andris so he would have to come off the bench.

ZAZA PACHULIA, first off, is the one on the right. Secondly, he is a hustling big man who will mix it up in the paint. He’s got a little bit of offensive skills, but not nearly enough to tickle Nellie’s fancy. He could come in handy off the Warriors bench.

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RASHEED WALLACE is supremely skilled, can shoot from the outside, a great low-post defender and he’s got the perfect temperment to put next to Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson — that way if the Warriors don’t win, the crowd will still be entertained, and Nellie can line his pockets with the fines from all their ejections. Wallace is expensive (two years, $25 millio left), but he is a champion.

STROMILE SWIFT doesn’t do it for me, but if there ever was a system he could be productive in, it’s the Warriors’ system. He is all athleticism, and that’s what the Warriors rely on. He’s a big man who can finish, and that’s one of the Warriors’ needs.

When CHARLIE VILLANUEVA is not partying with co-eds, or on the shelf with an injury, he’s a pretty good player. At 6-11, he’s got some size to go with his well-rounded skills. He won’t be much of a defensive presence, but he’s got something to work with on offense. The Bucks are overloaded at the four, so they might be willing to listen. Charlie is still on his rookie contract, so he’s cheap and the Warriors hold the option. If the Bucks aren’t willing to part with him, maybe they’d be willing to part with …

YI JIANLIAN could be the Warriors next target. If they don’t like Brandan Wright, they could make a move to get this headache off of Milwaukee’s management. I don’t buy the Bucks’ public stance that they’re keeping Yi. They have to do that to get the offers as high as possible.

Marcus Thompson

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well, you’ll have to wonder if minny ever wanted brandan wright. if minny like him, then they would have drafted him at #6. i’ve been saying that all along since the draft? and what makes mullin draft wright instead of joakim or spencer hawes? by logic, mullin must like wright, i hope. i acutally like joakim and hawes better than wright. joakim will be just like another biedrins. so if andris get into foul trouble, you have an exact sub on the bench. spencer is a talented offensive big man. he can be that low post scorer that w’s want. not sure how much of a fit he is with the warriors tho. but either would be more ready to play now than wright, who is at least another year or two from contributing. who knows, he could be another POB. wright wasnt even that good in college. he had hansborough on his side.

i dont think any of the players you mentioned fit in with the w’s. wilcox may work because of his athleticism but do you really want steven jack, baron and wilcox on the same team? we’ll be T off the court every game.

plan B would be look to the hawks roster and see if they are willing to let go of shelden williams? or maybe josh smith? they have to unload some of their forwards given they now have al horford, marvin williams, josh smith, shelden williams, pachulia, all pretty much play the same position. shelden williams would be a good acquisition but at what price?

Anonymous

You forgot to add Marcus Camby who might available from the Nuggets looking to cut salary.
He adds a veteran presence and a mentor for Wright and Andris

Derek

The Warriors need to get with Phoenix and try trading for Amare S or Shawn Marion before they think about any of the guys noted in the blog

Derek

The Warriors need to get with Phoenix and try trading for Amare S or Shawn Marion before they think about any of the guys noted in the blog

Andrew

This is pretty massively disappointing — I really thought the Ws had a good shot at KG. I’d be real interested to know what Mullin is thinking. As you point out, Marcus, the Warriors really need help underneath. But given the strength of the West, it’s hard to imagine that the guys you mention will be able to make enough of a difference to make the Ws a contender.

EJ

out of those guys, give me VILLANUEVA! i must say that i’m pretty disappointed. if nothing else is done, we’ve pretty much taken a step backward from the great run last season. yes, we’ve added 2 good young pieces, but have also subtracted the heart and soul of the franchise only for plan A to completely back fire. i don’t know that there is a plan B in place, marcus. it’s more of a plan “ok, now let’s see what’s left out there”. i hope this isn’t mitch richmond-billy ownens all over again. i do have this question though, marcus. did mullin really think that he was going to get kg without having to give up monta??

EJ

BLOG QUESTION

Marcus, here’s my Plan B. Biedrins for Al Jefferson (assuming he goes to Minny), straight up. Both with similar contracts and have yet to sign extensions. Jefferson will bolt when his deal is done, I know that for sure. The Warriors could save that $10mil exception for next season can’t they? They could then use that to sign Jefferson to an extension. What do you think?

Josh

The trade exception can not be used to sign a player to an extension, it can only be used for a trade transaction to obtain a player who makes LESS than $10million a year, and I believe it must be done this season or it is void. And Minny would never trade Jefferson for Biedrins straight up, their contracts might match…but the talent level does not.

Big Re

Marcus,

Good call on Gooden. He is the most logical guy to get at this point. As a Kansas alum I believe that Drew has never lived up to his potential, but I still think he has something to offer. At 6’10’, he’s long, athletic, has a soft touch around the basket, is a solid rebounder, and most importantly at under $7 million per year he is cheap considering his skill set. I’m not getting carried away here because I know he is not “the Answer”, but he can come in right away and give you double-double production and already knows that he is a roll player, not an all-star.

EJ

how about getting JO from Indy and sending Harrington to a 3rd team?

GSDubz

Wow, the people that have commented on this article are clearly not basketball fans. Trade for Amare or Marion? The Suns wouldn’t trade Amare for KG, who are we going to give them? Plus even if they did trade him, they surely wouldn’t do it to a division rival. Noah is going to end up Anderson Verejao 2.0, the Bulls can keep him. BWright was said to potentially be the 3rd best prospect in this draft behind Oden and Durant. Many consider him a steal at number 8. Also what would be the point on trading Biedrins for Jefferson? The Celtics wouldn’t do that and we won’t even throw Biedrins in a trade for KG so we aren’t going to do it for Al. Atleast do a little research before you guys just randomly spew crap from your mouth that has no basketball sense or logic.

Marcus Thompson

Dang, GSDubz! Tell us how you reall you really feel. You are right, though. No way Phoenix trades Marion or Amare to the Warriors. They’d rather pay Marion for two more years than send him to the one other system he could flourish. If you think for a second Amare is available, you are crazy.
GSDubz, you were also right about the Biedrins-Jefferson. The Warriors wouldn’t part with Beans for KG, why would they do it for Jefferson? The goal is to get someone to compliment Beans down low. If you get rid of him for a four, now you need a five.
Also, if you’re Indiana, who would you rather take? Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, or anything the Warriors have to offer. Not to mention O’Neal doesn’t fit this pace. He’s definitely a half-court big man.
The trade exception lasts for one year, so it expires on June 28 of next year.
I do like the Josh Smith idea, but he doesn’t fill the need. He’s a good rebounder and shot blocker, but he won’t be guarding Boozer. If the Warriors just give up on the big man and look to get stronger on the perimeter, you might consider Josh Smith because he is athletic and long and skilled. I don’t like Shelden Williams’ game, or any undersized big man with no visible offensive skills.

Jag

What about Tyson Chandler? any chance we can go after him. He lead the league in offensive rebound. I think he would be a good fit

George

Just foolish to think the Cavs would just dump Gooden, he was as solid as it came for them in the playoffs. Why trade a legit prospect for a likely bust, I go all in and say that Wright is more ready now than Yi is, and aren’t we trying to think about “now?” Wallace will remain a Detroit bad boy, Stromile will only disappoint, and Bucks likely won’t move someone like Villanueva until February when they see their roster pan out a bit more. Sorry Golden State, but you might have to wait until 08 for that needed size. Better do some cardio, lace those sneaks up tight and run run run run!

EJ

Marcus, how close were we really from getting KG?

Will

Sheed seems to be the next best fit, behind KG, in solving the Warrior’s problems in the post. He’s got all of the tools to flourish in Nellie’s system, or any other for that matter. Rebounding, low post defense, shooting, finishing, etc. The Warriors should go after him.

Taquito

Tyson Chandler is not leaving New Orleans anytime soon, they found in him the big guy they were looking for along time ago, and theres no way they would trade him, he just had his best professional year, wait for him to be an all star this year

I would try and get bigs instead of one. Posey and Wilcox to man the paint with Beans would be perfect! If not wilcox then Gooden. Boozer who?

Marcus Thompson

George,

They were as close as anyone. They were in the mix. They had a decent offer, nothing to match what Boston offered, and not enough to overcome McHale’s desire to help Ainge. But they were in it. They had probably the third best offer based on what Minny wanted.

john

MT:

KG says that the Ray Allen trade to Boston pushed him to make the deal,..in addition to money of course. But, the chance to play with Ray and Paul, two all-stars, in the weak East meant a lot.

sweetP

Do some of you even know basketball? The Suns trading? Someone mentioned Marcus Camby with his big contract and grandma back? No way the W’s draft Brendan Wright by trading up merely as trade bait. Mullin isn’t stupid in thinking that they were going to ask for Monta and he wasn’t willing to give him up so he had to be realistic that KG was unlikely. I mean look what Minny got for him. No way the W’s could have given that. Gooden and Yi are the two best options on the list. The W’s don’t need the typical in the post big man, like a Jermaine O’Neal, and slowing them down only makes them bad (see the end of every Jazz game when they tried to hold the lead instead of continue the attack). They need a runner and finisher who can grab a board and smack a Boozer or Amare in the mouth when need be. I’d love Wallace but no chance there and I’d love a Wilcox but I don’t see Seattle letting him leave as I truly believe they have him in there long term plans.

manhattanproj

well before i begin, i just like to say GSdubz and sweetp, dont even talk with your ass cause YOU dont know basketball. YOU arent even frequent poster here. so learn to respect ppl who do come to this place.

now onto what i want to say:

if you even watch florida play for a bit, you would know joakim has some game. if you consider joakim varejao 2.0, then what does that make biedrins? they all have a similar game. joakim may not have the pretties shot or the best offensive game, but he’s a play making power power with above avg bball iq. he did play pg in high school and he knows how to play.

i think shelden williams is a decent 4/5. he plays good d and is strong. he can hold his own against the likes of boozer and amare. doesnt have the most polished game on the block but he can give you points and a good rebounder. i think he’s a good acquisition at the right price. if you look at hawks games toward the end of the season, he was solid given the minutes.

manhattanproj

blog question:

now celtics have kg, allen, and pierce. are they a lock to make the playoffs? imo, i wouldnt be surprised if they miss the playoffs, even in the east. on paper, they look like a loaded team. but if you look at their career, none of them can carry a team by themselves. allen has proven that he’s not a winner and so has pierce. kg never carry his team to the playoffs. his best years were playing with a good, dynamic point guard (marbury and cassell). who’s going to do that now? rando is too young, pierce just likes to go 1-on-1, and allen isn’t a pg. it looks like a team with 3 big stars that dont fit together and huge expectations to fulfill.

James

Mannhattanproj, Celtics will without a doubt make the finals in the East. Your point that none of there three superstars can carry a team by themselves is rubbish. There are now three stars on that team so that nobody has to carry the team by themselves. They have Garnett on the inside, Allen on the outside and Pierce slashing. IMO they arent as good as Detroit yet but if one or 2 role players step up they will be a force in the East. Dont knock people who arent always here. We only post when we have something valid to say. Whilst GSDubz could have done it more tactfully, what he had to say was spot on

Derek

GSdubz and sweetp. If either of you knew anything about the game of basketball you’d know Phoenix is now is the process of dumping contracts. Did’nt you see their last trade. Marion requested a trade after the season ended and has not rescinded his request. And with any trade Pheonix would of course try trading for equal value and the Warriors could do that because they would be trading for need (a Big) who can run, score and rebound. The Warriors also should sign Boykins

dareedle

Assuming we keep Nellie, the only big besides Biedrins and Harrington that could help the Warriors is Bucks headache Yi. The only player that makes sense now is Yi, because the Bucks need some compensation and he doesn’t make sense in that market. We could dump Nellie, and actually build a real team around a low post stud like Horford, Smith, Randolph, Lee or Curry on Eastern conference teams with lot of similar players at the 4/5 position depending on playing time dynamics. The easy solution is to put a contract bonus on Nellie’s new contract based on the number of rebounds by any player not named Biedrins and the rebound differential during games. Its a lot easier to ride Harrington to get a rebound or two more per game than to reshape the entire roster for a less the KG type of PF.

itsagreattimeout

Brandan Wright >>>>> Yi

Kevin

I would much rather give Josh Powell a chance to show what he is worth than acquire some of those players and their contracts. I also don’t think Yi solves any kind of problem. I like Brandan Wright and he seems to be getting the same knocks as Chris Bosh got when he was drafted. Since KG is gone let’s not compound the mistake by making a panic trade.
And all the people talking about trading for Marion and Amare don’t have a clue. The reason Phoenix is dumping all their salary and draft picks is so they can keep those guys.

Drew Gooden would have to shave of that weird thing growing on the back of his head before I can think about wanting him with the Warriors.

itsagreattimeout

Amen!! That’s exactly what I was thinking too!!

JustPuked

A solid low post scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker is the most coveted asset in the NBA. Nobody is going to be doing the Warriors any favors in finding one that fits our system.

The Suns have completed their salary dumps. Kerr and D’Antoni, believe the Suns already have the talent to win an NBAtitle. They’re just not going to pay the luxery tax to do it. Marion and Amare aren’t going anywhere. Check out a Phoenix paper for confirmation.

It’s highly doubtful that Wilcox, Pachulia (intriguing thought), Rasheed, or Villanueva are even available. If so, it would take a creative trade to get them, without severely affecting the core of the Warriors.

Yi is an intriguing idea and fits with the Warriors youth movement. Trading next year’s first round draft pick (top three protected, just in case) and second round pick plus cash might be enough to pull a trade for Yi, but I doubt it. I’m sure Yi’s management would jump at it though.

Here’s a thought for everyone. Brandon Wright.

He’s already more talented that Stromile Swift and cheaper. Brandon is smooth around the basket and a natural finisher. In the Warriors system, he’s not going to be asked to isolate off the wing or back his man down. Just finish around the basket and hit open jumpers from less than 10 feet out. He can do that already and he’s only going to get better.

Defensively, he’s going to be a gem as a help side defender and rebounder. In comparison to the guys listed above, only the Suns duo are both more talented and as athletic. No, Wright will probably never be able to use his girth to push a Boozer out of the lane, but how many guys in the NBA can and are still athletic enough to block his shot? Not many.

Having a guy like Wright means Biedrins or Harrington can sell out on pushing Boozer out of the key, while a shot-blocker like Wright swings over to erase the shot over the top. It worked with Harrington pushing and Biedrins playing the shot blocker for small stints, but both guys tired out. Wright adds another guy who can play into it.

Besides, the dominate defensive philosophy of the Warrirors is to defend the pass before it ever gets to a Boozer type in the paint. Wright fits that philosophy to a tee. Eventually he’ll fill out, but in the mean time, enjoy watching him erase shots and finish in transition. He’s a keeper and I think we’ll all see why Mullin had him listed as the third best prospect in this year’s draft soon enough.

Drew

If you were Mullin, would you give up Al Harrington for Yi?

We already know Al doesn’t get enough rebounds for us, and although Yi is a rookie, I think he could be better for the Warriors than Al.

I think that since Yi is not signed, you could trade the 2 mentioned players straight up and the warriors could end up with another nice trade exception.

JustPuked

Why be in a rush to give up Al? I know he’s not the best rebounder, but let’s give him a chance to see what he can do in Nelson’s system. Remember, we only go to see him for half a season and he wasn’t in running shape for a large portion of it. Now that he’ll have a chance to get into “Nelson” shape and go through a full training camp, I expect big things from him. Let’s not be in a rush to forget Harrington can, and has dropped 30 points for the Warriors. There aren’t too many PF options available that are going to be doing that anytime soon.

Yi is a VERY intriguing prospect, but I’m not sure he’s worth Harrington…yet. Next year I might have a different opinion, lol.

TPG

Of the guys that were mentioned, the only player the Warriors should be interested in is Yi Jianlian. The W’s need to continue to build on their young core with players that can play in Nellie’s system and grow together i.e. the player has to primarily run, play multiple positions, and score. Because of the unique match-up situations that the W’s can bring in the playoffs, they only have an outside chance of getting to the playoffs/championship series. So, they don’t need any more players to sit on the bench next to Foyle, O’Bryant, and Jasikevicius and take up cap space. I agree that Milwaukee is in a tough spot if they really want to sign Yi. The Warriors just need to be patient and they may be able get Yi for O’Bryant and some future draft pick(s). If anything, the W’s should be able to deal with the Utah’s of the NBA with Kosta Perovic and now, Austin Croshere. Kosta’s a big boy and although Austin may have lost a little bit from 3-pt. range, he’s still pretty nasty in the post and can make free throws. With Biedrins, the Warriors now have a pretty potent mix of players who can play center.

Now that Garnett’s in Boston, the Warriors should be trying to figure out what to do with Foyle, O’Bryant, and Jasikevicius. Foyle is one of my favorite Warriors, but he’s not going to play in Nellie’s system; hopefully a playoff bound team needs him when they make their run. The same is true with Jasikevicius. Patrick O’Bryant has been labeled a long term project; hopefully he can be another team’s long term project. He reminds me too much of Joe Barry Carroll.

david

oh my GOD get rasheed wallace over there. GETHIMGETHIMGETHIMNOW that would be sick.